Karlsruhe, 10.05.2012 – The AION development team is currently working on AION free-to-play’s most extensive update so far. Amongst countless new features, there will be two new areas and a mount system, which will allow players to explore the world of Atreia even more quickly and comfortably.

New areas for players from level 55
The update extends the world of AION by two new areas. The areas, called Sarpan and Tiamaranta, are aimed at advanced players of level 55 and above. With the introduction of these new regions and the associated challenges, the level limit will be increased to 60. In a total of six new instances, players in Sarpan as well as in Tiamaranta can face new enemies and bosses, each of which drop high-level items, legendary armour and weapons.

Sarpan is activated via an individual campaign quest. It includes neutral territories as well as free PvP areas. Humans, Daevas and members of Siel’s Spear found a new home in Sarpan after the Cataclysm. Sarpan’s capital city, Kamar City, is surrounded by enemy territories. Adventurous players will certainly get more than they bargained for, as Sarpan is filled with strong opponents who drop lucrative rewards.

Tiamaranta can be reached through Kamar City. It is aimed at PvP enthusiasts between the levels of 58 and 60 and offers fortresses that can be seized by both factions. Dragon Lord Tiamat’s strongest and most important fortress is Tiamaranta’s Eye, which is activated for the corresponding faction as soon as a minimum of two of the fortresses in this zone have been conquered.

Get around more quickly with mounts
The upcoming update will also make travelling easier: tame mounts speed up the players’ movements on the ground and in the air. They also have an additional short speed increase thanks to the new sprint function. Mounts with differing skills and corresponding level requirements can be bought from NPC merchants. Players will also be able to produce their own mounts via crafting.

About AION
AION is Asian premium game development studio NCsoft®’s most successful MMO game and remains one of the most popular titles in Korea. Millions of players all over the world populate the lands and territories of the fantasy world of Atreia. The game has been continually expanded and enhanced with countless updates. Aside from numerous features and functions, this includes standards of the MMO genre such as new instances, interesting reward systems and better level opportunities through quests and innovations. These innovations include the mentor system, in which experienced players help out beginners and both sides profit. AION has been free-to-play since the 29th of February 2012, allowing players to experience the entire game content for free.

Gameforge – We create worlds
With an impressive portfolio of 20 titles and over 300 million registered players, Gameforge is one of the leading providers of Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) in the western hemisphere. Based in Karlsruhe, the internationally active group of companies offer their games in more than 50 languages. Their portfolio contains client based games such as AION, TERA, Metin2 (Europe’s most successful MMOG), 4Story, Runes of Magic, Elsword, Wizard101, Eligium – The Chosen One and RaiderZ. They also offer browser based online games such as the award-winning Ikariam and OGame. The company employs around 600 employees at its locations in Karlsruhe and Berlin. Gameforge was founded in 2003 by CEO Alexander Rösner. Renowned investor Accel Partners has held shares in Gameforge AG since 2007.